Renovating an old house sure is a trip. Sometimes it feels like we’ve barely begun this project house, but then again it feels like we’ve been working on it forever. Anyone else feel that way?
I thought it would be important to start this entire blog off with this post: a few things to remember to keep your sanity. Because I’m confident that you’re going to feel a little bit insane sometimes while you’re renovating your project house. I hope these tips will hit home for you.
1. You can’t renovate your entire house all at once.
Well, unless you’re rich.
But if you have a house renovation budget of any kind, or if you plan to live in your project house while you renovate, there’s no way that you can do this quickly.
One of my favorite sayings is “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
And our project house is DEFINITELY an elephant. So we take it one bite at a time.
Prioritizing your repairs and renovations is one of the hard parts of the project, but you will really need to sit down and make a plan based on your available budget, your lifestyle, and how much of the house you need to utilize at any given time.
And don’t compare your timeline to someone else’s! You have to do what works for your life and budget!
2. Start with the essentials and prioritize.
Just as I mentioned above, you cannot do it all at once! How do you prioritize a home renovation schedule?
Here are my personal recommendations:
- Start with safety. If you plan to live in your project house while doing renovations, you first must address any safety issues. Keeping your family safe is the number one priority!
- Ask yourself these questions: Do you have the essentials for living? Does your house have safe water to drink? Does your house have climate control (heat in the winter, cooling in the summer)? Do you have safe access to electricity? Are the fuel sources you use for cooking and heating safe and in good working condition?
- Next, work on function. Do you have a place to prepare food that is safe and clean? Do you have a place to use the bathroom and bathe that is safe and clean? Do you have a place for each family member to sleep?
Once these items have been addressed, you can start to make a plan for beautifying your project home and also improving the function of your essentials. Addressing energy and water efficiencies should also be on your list!
3. Sometimes DONE is better than PERFECT. Sometimes good enough really is good enough.
That might be a little bit controversial for me to say, but it really is true. You can get stuck in analysis paralysis, overthinking every little choice or repair. This will consume time and money that could be spent working on other areas of your home.
Don’t get trapped by your desire to have a flawless house! It WILL have flaws, and the sooner you realize that good enough really is good enough, the faster you can move on to living in your fantastic house!
4. There will be times that you find you do not have the necessary skills; ask for help.
Yes, this can be painful to realize. For many people, working on their project house gives them a sense of pride. But would you sacrifice money, time, and potentially safety just so that you can say you did every ounce of work yourself?
The first thing you must ask yourself is: Can I learn to do this? Is there a way I can test my skills but change directions if needed?
If the answers to these questions are no, then it’s time to look for help.
Help can come in all shapes and sizes, whether it’s your cousin who knows how to drywall or a professional that you hired at a great rate. If you have valuable skills to trade, you may find a helper who needs your help too!
Get creative!
5. You can learn a lot about home renovation for FREE!
Some of these things are no brainers, but others you may not have thought of!
- Check books and magazines out from the library! Many libraries have subscriptions to the most popular home renovation magazines, like Family Handyman and This Old House. Also, libraries have inter-library loan programs where you can request a book on a specific topic and they will transfer the book for you to check out. Don’t be afraid to ask the librarian for help. Our local library even rents tools!
- Google it! There are blogs just like this one that can help you with specific projects via tutorials.
- Check YouTube! We’ve found some incredibly helpful videos on YouTube, and some of the videos are quite specific and in depth.
- Ask a friend! If you’re lucky enough to have a “handy” friend, offer a trade for their help. Beer or a home cooked meal can be effective currency with friends!
6. Home Renovation will cost more than you think.
There’s no way around it. You’re going to have surprises. Tools are going to break. Termites and/or mold will show up when you least expect them.
Instead of letting each surprise knock you sideways, come to the realization early on that things WILL go wrong and they will be costly. That doesn’t mean you can’t hide in the garage and cry for a few minutes, it just means that you have to pick yourself back up and move on. Take a deep breath, get a drink of water; it’s going to be okay.
7. Others’ opinions do not matter more than your own.
Ohh boy is this a tough one. Especially if you live in a generational home like we do!
Most of the folks who are giving you their opinions really do mean well, but they are not the ones that will be living in the house. Ultimately YOU must decide which way to go with your project house. Remember, you can set boundaries but still be kind.
If you want to paint your house pink, then do it!
8. Working in an unsafe way will make your home renovations cost more.
Here are a few tips to keep you out of trouble:
- Always use personal protective equipment! This means safety glasses, masks, cut gloves, tool guards, etc.
- Never use your tools in ways that weren’t intended. No, you cannot use your drill as a makeshift router!
- Be careful who you hire or have help you. If you hire a professional, be sure they are licensed and insured. If you’re having a friend help you, be sure that they are being safe. Definitely don’t invite your clumsy friend over to help!
- If you rent equipment, be sure that you learn how to use it before you bring it home. This is especially true for heavy equipment rentals such as backhoes or scissor lifts.
- Don’t take shortcuts with electricity or gas. This is one place where done is NOT better than perfect!
9. Always buy the correct materials, but realize that you don’t always need to buy the BEST materials.
It’s very important to make sure that you’re spending money wisely during the home renovation process. Wasting money on fancy materials can be just as bad as wasting money on sub-par materials.
Do the materials meet the minimum requirements for the job? If yes, then you should always consider them, even if they aren’t “top of the line.”
Shop around before you buy and make sure you are comparing apples to apples when looking at materials. Compare the specs and ask questions at the store when price checking.
And don’t be afraid to use the store’s in house brand! You don’t need to have name brand drywall in your house if the store brand is of sufficient quality. Remember, no one is going to know what brand it is!
Make sure you have prioritized the materials in your project before you shop. Are you in love with an expensive faucet but don’t care too much about the brand of the sink? Buy your fancy faucet and then save money by purchasing the store brand sink.
You should know by now though, we never skimp on safety! Be realistic about the level of use something will get in your house and select a product that meets those needs and level of safety. This is especially true when there are children in the house; safety features that protect your children should be prioritized.
10. Trust your gut.
This is something I preach in my personal and professional life to almost anyone I meet. You must learn to listen to your intuition. You will never regret trusting your gut, but you will always regret NOT trusting it. This is especially true where safety is concerned.
11. No one will look at your renovations with as critical of an eye as you will.
Being a midwesterner means that I’m quick to reply to a compliment with a caveat. It’s in our nature to tell someone why something isn’t as great as it seems.
STOP IT.
Stop showing every mistake to people. Stop speaking negatively about your work.
People don’t come into your house looking for flaws and mistakes, so stop giving them something to look at!
Accept the compliments with a smile and be proud of yourself for the work you’ve done!
12. Inspiration can be helpful, but it can also be hurtful.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Pinterest and Instagram are two tools that I use almost constantly, but they are also places that fuel jealousy for me. As much as I enjoy seeing a brand new house or a gorgeous back yard, it also reminds me how far we have to go with this house. I can’t go an hour without wishing we could win the lottery or inherit some money from a rich relative.
We have to remind ourselves that what we see on social media or TV isn’t exactly real. Those houses on TV look great in the camera but may be falling apart behind the scenes. The budgets for some of these shows are millions and millions of dollars. Stop comparing yourself to an unattainable and fake standard.
Jealousy will take the joy out of home renovation. When you start to feel it creeping in, put down your phone and turn off the TV. Go outside and shovel some snow!
Remember, don’t be so hard on yourself.
You’re a human being, and you deserve grace. The home renovation process is very hard at times, but you can do hard things! You’ve got this!
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